New to the Forum - Insight From 996 Owners Appreciated

This is hopefully my first of many posts. After years of thinking about a 911, I'm finally in a position to pull the trigger. While all of my friends own air cooled, I'm not ready to make that financial commitment to get a quality example. I currently have a 1980 RX7 that's been an absolute blast to own and learn on, but it's not practical in many ways (i.e. no a/c, no backseat, reliability and comfort for any trip over 1 hour, smells like 1980's 2 stroke Mercury). I want something that I can drive a couple of days a week, put the kids in the back seat to enjoy a drive or take the wife on a weekend trip. I'm fairly handy, as I've done all the routine maintenance on my RX7 (I know, not the same as a 911), but I'll be able to change oil/filters and basic jobs. My goal is to get a well sorted, solid driver, preferably owned by an enthusiast - only must haves are manual and coupe...I'm leaning towards a 2001-04. For those who are willing to take the time, I'd love to hear from experiences of ownership. The good, the bad, the ugly...and anything you'd change about the your experience thus far. Right now, my main contender is a '04 Carrera with 79k (rebuild done by Vision at 59K) but in speed yellow with some reversible mods (i.e. plastidip wheels, Becker downtubes (has OEM cats), Porsche decals on side, air resonator delete (has OEM parts) at $35K. Thanks for the time, Matt in NC

For my friend, I sourced a 2003, 192,000 mile, original paint gem for $13,500 a few months ago. (fall 2021). Yes I bought it asap, didn't even tell the current owner what i had done. I knew he would want it. We picked it up a few weeks later and she has gone 4k miles in the last 2 months and still strong. Look for the hi mile original engine gems. I'm not a fan of rebuilt anything although I understand there is a need for them in the car world and I have multiple in my warehouse (not Porsche). Sorry but no one can rebuilt an engine like the original manufacturer. BMW, Porsche, Ferrari, etc. Manufacturer built engine always wins out IMO. The car was advertised on a major channel. I sent the money under one condiiton, that he take down that ad immediately, lol. Lots of sharks out there that say, I'll pay more etc.. blah blah blah. Lots of bad sellers out there who take multiple deposits, etc. Takes a bit of luck to find the right car / seller / price but it can be done. I'm proof of that. Good luck in your search. Just know, the difference between 2001 and 2002 and up is huge. 996.1 vs 996.2 is major difference. Do your homework and find the right generation that fits your eye best. Then find the right car. With your budget you'll have plenty to choose from but don't delay, prices going up everyday. Air cooled cars are SO overrated, I've owned some top examples of that marque. I've also owned some really nice 997 examples. My particular dollars are going to the first of future with ties to the past. The 996.1. The earlier the better

Find one with a decently maintained history and get a PPI done. They are great cars when taken care of properly. There are plenty of folks on here who drive their cars a lot and have had no problems and of course folks who have had catastrophic engine failure which is why proper PPI should be done. Knock on wood mine has been pretty reliable but I've also caught it up on maintenance. There are some things I need to do this season once we take care of our taxes.

Get a PPI. I hate my 996. Just misery from day one. Lots of my posts on here documenting the turmoil.

Do you have the complete build sheet from the rebuild performed at Vision? Did current owner advise what happened prompting the rebuild? I believe Vision rebuilds are well spoken of if memory serves right. But, all that being said, I'd probably rather find something with original motor. Maybe if it had a rebuild from Flat6 would have more confidence. What's main criteria you're looking for?

Though I am a new 996 owner, I have been a mechanic my whole life. Best advice for buying anything that is used, but expensive to fix, is to buy something well maintained, and always assume that the seller is trying to hide something. Have someone independent and knowledgeable about the 996 do a PPI. Drive the car for more than 10 minutes. Really get a feel for how it feels and sounds. In the end you have to make the call and take your chances.

Hey there @watchknut - what's on your wrist? Echo! Echo...echo....echo..... PPI! PPI.....ppi.....ppi.... Yes inspect the car - condition over mileage. Buy the owner. Best of luck to you!

Thanks everyone! I already have a local place for PPI set up and have done that on other cars I've purchased in the past...with this one, it's a must. Glad to hear about condition over mileage on these as well. There is a full build sheet from Vision and the motor was rebuilt due to an IMS failure..and I agree, always best to have the original motor in it. On the wrist today was a 1966 gilt GMT. I'll let everyone know what I find...the local one with the rebuilt motor is falling more out of favor.

I love the red car on BAT right now but it falls out of your range. I also love the 01 yellow / black with AWESOME OPTIONS (sport seats with painted backs and yellow belts) are on the build sheet. I don't think the owner knows this. He said they look professionaly done It's on ebay now for 33k buy it now. He sent me some paint measurements and they look good. PPI would be good. Car is in Washington State. That spec will do nothing but go up https://www.ebay.com/itm/19475508500...11ce%7Ciid%3A1

My advice based on my recent 2003 C4S, and my earlier experience with Super 90, and 912, is to accept that Porsche is an expensive car to buy, and an expensive car to own. However, that is fully compensated by the fact that they are simply exhilarating to drive, and spiritually rewarding to own. I bought my car from a dealer, and I will only maintain my car by the dealer. Sure it's expensive, but you really can't do this in a way that is not expensive. If you DIY you need tools, documents, and some mechanical experience, and a lot of reading and studying. Lots of guys DIY and more power to them. However, you can still buy a great car for less than $50k, and enjoy the feeling of driving a world class car when a Toyota Corolla costs $21,000.00. 996 Porsche is cheap when you consider the performance and spiritual lift you get when driving quickly in the wet on back roads...

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I'm sorry I asked! Very cool...

I�d say don�t get one without options you want with the idea of adding them later. Ends up costing a lot of time and money� unless you are into DIY. I got a low option car with basically just Litronic headlights as the only option. I�ve since upgraded a lot, to include $ports $eats. I enjoy the process, but I probably should have done more research. I�d recommend full leather interior. It�s so much nicer than my regular one. Gives a whole different vibe to the car. Other than that, the same that applies to buying any other used car applies to you he 996. Nothing special in that regard.

I had and loved a couple of air-cooled 911s before buying my (02C2) 996 in 2015. Since you seem to prioritize real-world usability, I can't overstate how much better a *car* the 996 is than its air-cooled predecessors. It's not just lighter stiffer faster quicker safer cleaner more comfortable and more efficient than, say, 993. It's also deliberately and markedly easier to work on. Your family and your DIY skills will both go further with your 996. $35k for 79k modified and rebuilt miles sounds pretty rich to me, even in today's market. But that's not what you asked: I have 7 years/36k miles of strict service and a handful of factory/highly-reversible mods under my belt. If I could go back and do it again I'd make one change-- to go back further so as to buy one sooner!

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any idea what kind of wing that is- I like it

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No clue but I like it also. Should have been the turbo wing

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Great to know about your experience with the switch. Agree, $35k is rich for the car. I was supposed to look at it yesterday, but couldn�t make it work, so I�ll go on Monday. The seller is motivated, but just how much, I don�t know. I talked to Vision today and they pulled up the work order and said it was a standard rebuild. Said that a PPI would check for overevs which would be his main concern on the motor. He also mentioned to do a leak down test if possible. I�ll post pics and an update on Monday.

It looks like a Techart wing. https://www.vividracing.com/-p-13412.html

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Looks similar but isn't. The top of the yellow one is smooth and a little more aggressive on the sides maybe. And the yellow one is much smaller in size. No integrated brake light and rides below the factory brake light

Try number 2, DARUS Rear Wing. http://www.jacquemond-france.com/uk/...-jacquemond-2/

@watchknut i am raleigh based and moved up to a turbo. I have an 04’ 996 all black c2 6mt with. 53k in perfect condition and full maint with ims etc all done recently with the crew at European performance in raleigh. I might be open to parting with it for a local enthusiast. IM me if interested. Thx - scrh1

Make sure you get a comprehensive PPI from someone that knows that year and model. Don't skimp on this. Expect to pay a minimum of $200 to $500 to have someone look deeply into it. Make sure you buy it with cash, don't take a loan. This is a toy, not a necessity. Make sure you have a cash reserve for the unexpected repairs. They will happen. Maintenance is not cheap no matter what great stories you hear. Everything is more expensive, even without unplanned repairs. Oil, tires, filters, insurance, etc.—they all will cost more than what you are expecting. Take your time to find the right car. Porsche made about 175,000 of these.